1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel inflatable container for an object. Specifically, the invention relates to a novel inflatable and deflatable container for articles, including hard to wrap items such as canned and bottled drinks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, several types of inflatable coolers and carriers have been devised for carrying food and luggage. These prior art inflatable luggage and shipping pieces utilize air chambers sometimes located in the walls and structure and rigid sheet material, which hindered the collapse of the device. The prior art inflatable coolers are generally shaped as a chest with a lid or opening at or across the upper surface.
It is also known to use inflatable containers for transportation of fragile and delicate items, such as cameras, china, and crystal, etc., or for carrying personal items such as clothing, papers, or the like. The former inflatable containers are generally designed to inflate around the fragile object and thereby freeze it in place to prevent its movement in the container and provide shock absorbence and impact resistance to protect the article within. The latter inflatable containers are generally constructed and formed into the shape and size of a suitcase or briefcase and function completely as a suitcase or briefcase. Some prior art include a means to pump the air into the device.
The following 23 patents are relevant to the field of the present invention.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,794 issued to Howard Mattel on Jun. 28, 1971 for “Air-Inflated Collapsible Suitcase” (hereafter the “Mattel Patent”);
2. U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,867 issued to Robert J. Fisher on Aug. 30, 1977 for “Inflatable Luggage” (hereafter the “Fisher Patent”);
3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,785 issued to Eric F. Hoot and assigned to The Raymond Lee Organization Inc. on Apr. 25, 1978 for “Inflatable Cooler Container” (hereafter the “Hoot Patent”);
4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,781 issued to Paul M. Swerdon on Sep. 23, 1986 for “Inflatable Insulated Barrel Cooler” (hereafter the “Swerdon Patent”);
5. U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,852 issued to Charles P. Jordan et al. on May 30, 1978 for “Inflatable Box” (hereafter the “Jordan Patent”);
6. U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,202 issued to Aaron Lee on Feb. 25, 1986 for “Container with Inflatable, Floating Liner Of Uniform Thickness” (hereafter the “Lee Patent”);
7. U.S. Design Patent No. Des. 283,845 issued to Joseph R. Lief et al. and assigned to M. Dale Smith on May 20, 1986 for “Inflatable Insulated Carrying Container” (hereafter the “Lief Patent”);
8. U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,352 issued to Kyle B. Walker on Feb. 28, 1989 for “Inflatable Cooler” (hereafter the “Walker Patent”);
9. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 333,592 issued to Kyle B. Walker on Mar. 2, 1993 for “Inflatable Cooler” (hereafter the “Walker Design Patent”);
10. U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,131 issued to Catherine M. L. Andrews on Jun. 8, 1993 for “Shipping Container Apparatus” (hereafter the “Andrews Patent”);
11. U.S. Design Pat. No. D443,182 issued to Leroy L. Peterson and assigned to Sportsstuff Inc. on Jun. 5, 2001 for “Inflatable Cooler” (hereafter the “Peterson Design Patent”);
12. U.S. Design Pat. No. D523,704 issued to Glenn L. DiBiasi on Jun. 27, 2006 for “Cake Condom” (hereafter the “DiBiasi Design Patent”);
13. U.S. Published patent application No. 2007/0023439 issued to James Elmer Vaughn on Feb. 1, 2007 for “Inflatable Cooler” (hereafter the “Vaughn Patent”).
14. U.S. Pat. No. 1,125,855 issued to Bessie June Mapes on Jan. 19, 1915 for “Table Decoration” (hereafter the “Mapes Patent”);
15. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 157,043 issued to Gilbert S. Gruber et al. and assigned to Oxford Products Corp. on Jan. 31, 1950 for “Gift Box” (hereafter the “Gruber Design Patent”);
16. U.S. Pat. No. 2,758,458 issued to Dewayne C. Carlson on Aug. 14, 1956 for “Birthday Cake Cover With Base” (hereafter the “Carlson Patent”);
17. U.S. Pat. No. 3,819,455 issued to Edith P. MacKendrick on June 25, 1974 for “Cake Protector And Candle Holder” (hereafter the “MacKendrick Patent”);
18. U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,119 issued to Clara M. Zefran on Aug. 26, 1980 for “Decorative Cake Container” (hereafter the “Zefran Patent”);
19. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 371,960 issued to Kui-Eng Chen on Jul. 23, 1996 for “Cake Gift Box” (hereafter the “Chen Design Patent”);
20. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 376,101 issued to Gerd Lippens and assigned to Ballon-Express S. A. on Dec. 3, 1996 for “Packaging For Confectionery” (hereafter the “Lippens Design Patent”);
21. U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,833 issued to Nicholas Paolo DeLuca and assigned to Novus Packaging on Dec. 2, 1997 for “Inflatable Packaging Cone And Method Of Making The Same” (hereafter the “DeLuca Patent”);
22. U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 419,438 issued to Donna Marie Gardner on Jan. 25, 2000 for “Cake Gift Box” (hereafter the “Gardner Design Patent”);
23. U.S. Design Pat. No. D440,121 issued to LeRoy L. Peterson and assigned to Sportsstuff, Inc. on Apr. 10, 2001 for “Inflatable Cooler” (hereafter the “Peterson Design Patent”).
The Mattel Patent is for an inflatable suitcase which contains exterior pockets so that air can be blown into the pockets through a nipple which results in the suitcase being in the expanded full condition and when air is released so that the suitcase can be in a flat condition.
The Fisher Patent discloses inflatable luggage which can be in various shapes. The containers have walls which are formed of fluid impervious material and a conduit is connected to the passages for the purposes of inflating the container.
The Hoot Patent is essentially an inflatable ice chest container which has inflatable sidewalls. The Hoot Patent also has a hard plastic interior liner, in which food is stored, that is placed within the sidewalls. The cover also can be inflated. The device has a thermal insulation-like property and is used to retain the hot or cold qualities of food stored within.
The Swerdon Patent is an inflatable insulated lidless cooler specifically designed to accommodate and cool large barrels of beer. It has cylindrical walls which can be inflated. The inflatable wall serves as an insulation for the ice and barrel of beer.
The Jordan Patent discloses an inflatable group of panels joined along fold lines, which when folded, form a box which are thereafter retained together by snap fasteners. When the air is released, the device folds flat.
The Lee Patent discloses a container having a casing member and a liner in which an inflatable envelope resides and functions as a shock absorber for the contents therein such as a camera. The inflatable shock absorber lies in the space formed between the outer casing of the container and the liner which receives the inflatable envelope and is inserted through the unsewn sides between the edge of the outer casing and side liner. This opening however can be closed for example by a zipper or snap button. Built into the case is a bulbous pump to inflate the shock absorber.
The Lief Patent is a design patent for an inflatable insulated carrying container. The carrier has three separate sections that must be inflated individually. When inflated, the two end walls and the one wrap around connecting sidewall are form a tubular shape. A handle attaches to the carrier so that the tube hangs horizontally. A zipper runs along the sidewall between the two attached ends of the handle, resulting in a purse-like appearance to the carrier.
The Walker Patent discloses an inflatable cooler having an inflatable container and inflatable lid. Secured to the bottom wall of the inflatable container is a reinforcing member for supporting the weight of objects carried in the container. The shape of the container and lid is that of a standard ice chest and is maintained by one or more support strips secured within the walls of the container and within the lid.
The Walker Design Patent is of an inflatable cooler that appears to have inflatable sidewalls which can be inflated with air to cause the container to be in the expanded full condition and from which air can be released to enable the container to be flattened.
The Andrews Patent is a pneumatic shipping container comprising a rigid shell container and lid with an inflatable liner positioned therein. The inflatable liner is arranged for mounting to anchor portions within the container for positioning the liner relative to the container structure. The object to be shipped is placed within and the liner is inflated around the object to cushion and prevent movement of the object in the shipping container.
The Peterson Patent is a design patent for an inflatable cooler. The cooler inflates into a shape that appears to be made to float in water. A zipper encircles the upper rim of the storage area so that entire top lifts back to add or remove the food and drink within.
The DiBiasi Patent which is a design patent that issued in 2006 for a ‘cake condom’ and appears to be made of a rigid, hard plastic roughly in the shape of a bread box. The top surface has a multiplicity of air holes that encircle the words ‘happy birthday’ printed across the top.
The Vaughn Published Patent Application discloses an inflatable cooler having an inflatable body within a rigid frame and base and at least one fluid chamber connected to the base and to the upper frame.
The Mapes Patent is a table decoration in the shape of a birthday cake.
The Gruber Patent is a design patent which protects the shape of the object. It is simply a hingeable container which can simulate a birthday cake with the word “Happy Birthday” thereon.
The Carlson Patent is a protective covering for cakes which has openings in which candles can be placed.
The MacKendrick Patent is a cake protector and candle holder which is a shield to be placed over the birthday cake so that it is inaccessible to insects and people while it is protected and the shield holds candles so that the candles can be lit and simulate a birthday cake but the candles themselves will not touch the birthday cake.
The Zefran Patent is a decorative cake container which is a two-piece decorative cake container cover which includes removable decorations on the cake.
The Cheng Patent is a cake gift box which has a solid cylindrical top designed to cover a cake with a simulated candle therein.
The Lippens Patent is a design patent for packaging for a confectionery which is a blow-up type of form placed on top of a package where the confectionery is placed.
The DeLuca Patent is a two dimensional inflatable heat sealable thin filled form to create a three dimensional inflated cone with a recess in the base of the cone useful as a carrying pouch or as an end cap for a cushioning as well as thermal protection. The cone has the word “Happy Birthday” on it. This is an inflatable device which can be used to carry articles and also can have the words “Happy Birthday” as the gift can be placed in the container.
The Gardner Patent is a cake gift box and is designed to protect several tiers of a wedding cake. It has a simulated bride and groom on the top of the cake but is a hard physical box and not a blow-up box.
The Peterson Design Patent discloses an inflatable cooler which in general can simulate a ring with a cake in the middle but there is no opening in which an object can be placed.
Most of the prior are complicated devices, made of multiple pieces and components and of differing materials. Heretofore the prior art does not include an inflatable device that is in a shape of other than that of a cooler or a case. The prior art does not provide for a case suitable for closely, but not immovably, holding and carrying a six bottles of or a six-pack of canned drinks. The prior art also does not provide for an inflatable and deflatable means to package articles as gifts. The prior art also does not provide for an inflatable and deflatable means to package unusual and hard to wrap items as gifts, such as six bottles or a six-pack of canned drinks. The prior art does not teach an inflatable and deflatable means to package gifts in a fun and fanciful manner.